


The Misadventures of a Muggleborn Maid

by Jemina



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, F/F, Femslash, Maids, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23131990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemina/pseuds/Jemina
Summary: Recently graduated from Hogwarts and in desperate need of money for her parents, Hermione agrees to become a maid at the Lestrange Estate.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 22
Kudos: 148





	1. The Interview

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Voldemort-less AU. Pureblood privilege still exists, and muggleborns like Hermione still receive a degree of stigma. Because there never was a Voldemort, neither attitude is as strong as it would otherwise have been.
> 
> Hermione never befriended Harry or Ron and was sorted into Ravenclaw. She has no real friends and is a bit of a loner despite her academic success. I hope that clears things up!

Hermione stepped up to the wrought-iron gates of the Lestrange Estate with a heavy suitcase in her hands. Inside her suitcase was everything she would need for the next three months. Assuming nothing went wrong with the final interview she would be given, anyway. Narcissa Malfoy didn't seem like the type to dangle an opportunity in front of someone only to snatch it away, but Hermione didn't know the woman well. They had only communicated through a series of letters a week ago.

Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts two days previously. She had been Head Girl and had received no less than seven N.E.W.T.s. It was the end of a very impressive scholastic career, and (hopefully) the beginning of a bright future for Hermione at the Ministry of Magic. A highly-sought internship at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement awaited her, but Hermione had been forced to decline the offer. That was because of the dire letter she had received from her mother a month ago.

Her parents were both dentists and had a successful practice. Or so Hermione had thought. For the last few years, she had noticed that her parents seemed to have fewer patients than before. Her father was always quick to assure her that things were fine, and Hermione was too focused on studying during the summer break to put much thought into the matter anyway. 

The truth had first come out in a letter from her mother a few months ago. The opening of a new dental office nearby, replete with a spa-like facility, had stolen away the few patients they had remaining. Moving to another town was out of the question, unfortunately. Her parents didn't have the money to open a new practice, and what's worse, their house was leveraged as well. From her mother's most recent letter, Hermione had learned that her parents were in danger of going bankrupt and losing everything they owned. 

Hermione's parents had told her, in no uncertain terms, to ignore their problems and to focus on her career. But how could she? Her parents had sacrificed a lot for her sake. Hermione had to at least try to help them.

Making a great deal of money as a soon-to-be graduate of Hogwarts was easier said than done, however. Hermione had asked around the Ravenclaw common room to see if anyone knew of a job where she might be able to make some quick money. Nobody did. Hermione had then asked the teachers for some advice. They had been less than helpful. The teachers had all told Hermione to listen to her parents and to accept the prestigious internship she had been offered.

Help, when it did arrive, came from a very unexpected source. Word of Hermione's quest for money had reached the Slytherin common room. Draco Malfoy had found her in the library one day and had told Hermione that his parents were looking for a maid to work at the Lestrange Estate.

At first, Hermione had assumed he was making fun of her and (as Head Girl) had threatened to give him lines. Draco Malfoy was a pureblood, and over the years, he had made Hermione's life quite difficult. She was muggleborn, and even though the term meant less and less as time went on, people like the Malfoys did their best to keep it relevant. In Draco's case, it had meant calling her a mudblood over and over again. Though he had wisely ceased doing so as soon as Hermione had become a Prefect.

Draco's offer was quite serious, however. And as soon as he told Hermione about the number of Galleons she could make as a maid to a pureblood family, he had her full attention. Even so, Hermione was prepared to reject Draco's offer. He had antagonized her too many times over the years. She would not stoop to serving him like that, no matter how much money was involved.

Draco had clarified that Hermione wouldn't be working at Malfoy Manor, however. The job opening was at the Lestrange Estate. Hermione hadn't really understood why Draco's family would be hiring for a service job that wasn't at their house, but the interconnectedness of pureblood families had escaped her. Now, Hermione knew better. Narcissa Malfoy was a sister to Bellatrix Lestrange, who was the current owner of the estate.

Not knowing how to contact Bellatrix, Hermione had instead sent a respectful letter to Narcissa inquiring about the position. Narcissa had written back the very next day. The woman wanted a list of Hermione's qualifications, some information about her upbringing, and (strangely enough) a picture. Hermione had written several parchments worth of information for Narcissa's first two requests and had sought out Colin Creevey and his camera to fulfill the last one.

Hermione hadn't held out much hope that she would be hired. The "upbringing" part concerned her the most. If her son was anything to go by, Narcissa Malfoy must be similarly concerned with Blood Status. Being a muggleborn would almost certainly disqualify Hermione from consideration.

Hermione had never been more pleased to have been wrong. Narcissa had written back the next day. The woman explained to Hermione that, pending a "final interview", she had been hired. Hermione was to show up to the Lestrange Estate within a week of graduating and would work there as a live-in maid for three months. For this, Hermione would be paid an eye-popping sum of four hundred Galleons a month, or two and a half Galleons an hour working full-time. That would convert to a muggle currency of twenty pounds an hour! Some quick math was all Hermione needed to learn that she would make almost ten thousand pounds by the end of the summer.

That would be enough to save her parent's house from being foreclosed, at least. Ecstatic, Hermione had written a profuse thank-you letter to Narcissa and had sent the good news to her parents. Predictably, they had been angry that Hermione hadn't listened to them. But the decision had been made. Hermione had already declined her internship. There was no going back now.

It wasn't like it was the end of her Ministry career. Hermione had explained that she would simply apply to a less prestigious department later on, such as the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It would mean for a slower career path than Hermione would otherwise have been on, but that was a small price to pay in order to save the house she had grown up in.

The iron gate opened as soon as Hermione touched it, pulling Hermione out of her thoughts. No one was around, but it seemed as though she had been expected. As she walked through the open gate, Hermione's view of the Lestrange Estate was no longer blocked. The grounds inside were sweeping, and between two large, somewhat overgrown gardens was a wide stone path that led to the manor.

The black, regal manor house looked gigantic to Hermione's eyes, though she really didn't know how it compared to other rich, pureblood residences. For all she knew, it could be a cottage in comparison to Malfoy Manor. Hermione rather doubted it was, though. This manor was easily five or six times the size of the house she had grown up in.

As Hermione neared the manor, a house elf suddenly Apparated in front of her. Hermione dropped her suitcase in surprise and stepped backward, barely keeping herself from shrieking. The house elf, who might have been female (it wasn't so easy to tell, as the elf was only wearing a tea towel), curtsied to her.

"Hello. Miss Granger, is it?" The house elf asked politely, keeping her knees bent and her head bowed.

"Y-Yes." Hermione answered after a moment, having collected herself.

"Please follow me. Mistress Malfoy is waiting in the first-floor study." The house elf said again, turning around and walking toward the manor.

Hermione picked up her suitcase and followed. The first-floor study. Did that mean there was another study on the second floor? How many studies did one house need? The door opened with a wave of the house elf's arm. Hermione took note of that with interest. Was the door enchanted, or did the house elf use their own brand of magic? She had to remember to ask later.

Wait a minute. Hermione had been so surprised by the house elf's jarring appearance that she hadn't thought about what that fact signified. There was at least one house elf here. If the Lestrange Estate had house elves working there, then why did they need a maid? Hermione followed the house elf inside, wondering what she was really here for.

The grandness of the entrance hall made her temporarily forget that question. The floor was marble, the walls were made from dark oak, and rich, clearly old tapestries hung from the rafters. Hermione couldn't help but stop and gape at the wealth concentrated here. The house elf coughed politely, however, and Hermione got herself moving again.

They crossed the entrance hall and entered through a door on the other side. Hermione thought that might be the study, but no, the door only led to another hallway. The house elf seemed to have no trouble navigating the corridors, and Hermione could only hope that she wouldn't get lost too often here. The house elf led Hermione to the third door on the right and knocked quietly.

"Come in." came the voice of a woman, calling through the door.

"You can leave your suitcase here, Miss Granger. I will take it to your room." the house elf said quickly, curtsying once more.

Hermione set her suitcase down, reflecting on the fact that the house elf considered her to have already been hired. That had to be a good sign. The house elf skipped forward, touched the handle of her suitcase, and Disapparated with a loud crack.

Hermione found herself alone in the corridor. She took a deep breath to help calm herself, then reached for the handle of the door. Hermione opened the door and walked inside. A small, though richly-decorated study greeted her. There was a large oak desk in the middle of the room, and behind it sat a woman in an emerald dress.

Hermione's first thought was that Narcissa Malfoy was a beautiful woman. She was blonde, with cold blue eyes, pale skin, and she appeared to be in her late thirties. Narcissa was looking at her in a very measured way. Though the blonde woman smiled at her, Hermione noticed the woman's smile slip slightly as she took in Hermione's clothing. Hermione was wearing jeans and a simple white top. Perhaps Narcissa didn't approve of Hermione's muggle clothing? That was unfortunate, but Hermione really hadn't had much of a choice.

"Hello, Miss Granger. Please sit down." Narcissa said after a moment, motioning to the chair in front of the desk.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. Let me just say I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be here." Hermione replied as she sat down, striving to sound both polite and eager.

"Of course, of course. I was very impressed by your list of accomplishments. Seven N.E.W.T.s! My son only got four, I'm afraid." Narcissa remarked lightly, continuing to gaze evenly at Hermione.

"Oh. Yes. Draco and I know each other." Hermione said awkwardly in response.

That was something Hermione had been wrestling with. Draco had bullied her quite a bit during their first and second year. Hermione hadn't been able to make any friends in Ravenclaw, so she mostly stayed in the library when she had any free time. Such a habit had helped Hermione rise to the top of her class, but Draco (and others in her own house who were envious of her academic ability) was always there to bring her down a peg with a cutting insult.

Draco had likely brought up Hermione in a derogatory way to his parents at some point. What that meant for Hermione's chances of being hired by Narcissa Malfoy was unclear. Hermione had a very difficult time reading the woman. Narcissa's face was studiously blank, except for when the woman seemed to want her feelings to be known. Hermione rather suspected that Narcissa wanted her to know that her choice of clothing was unsatisfactory without coming out and saying so.

"What I'm curious about is why, with such excellent grades, you are so interested in being the maid here at my sister's estate." Narcissa said softly, letting her question hang in the air.

Hermione thought for a moment before answering. Obviously, the excellent pay was the reason why Hermione was here. But Narcissa had to know that already. What the blonde woman was really asking was why Hermione needed the money so badly that she was willing to work as a servant to a pureblood family. Hermione decided to answer Narcissa's real question, and to answer it honestly. Her experience with Narcissa, brief as it was, told her that lying to this woman would not be a very good idea.

"My parents are deeply in debt. They're in danger of losing their house. I need the money from this job to keep it from being foreclosed." Hermione replied quietly, hoping she wasn't giving Narcissa too much leverage over her.

"That's a terrible shame, my dear. You have my sympathy." Narcissa said absently, sounding somewhat less than truly sympathetic.

"But...that's the reason why I'll work very hard and do the very best job I can. You can count on me, I swear." Hermione said intently.

Hermione could tell instantly that pity was not going to help her. The wealthy pureblood woman no doubt already had her pick of charity cases. Narcissa's eyebrows rose approvingly at Hermione's confident statement, however.

"I like the sound of that. I do need someone driven to succeed at this job. My sister's demands can sometimes be unreasonable." Narcissa said with a genuine smile, tapping her fingers on the desk.

"Whatever they are, I'm certain I can handle it." Hermione replied confidently, thinking that if she could swing seven N.E.W.T. classes while fulfilling her duties as Head Girl, then Bellatrix's demands would be easy by comparison.

"I like you already, Miss Granger. I think you're perfect for this job, to be honest." Narcissa said approvingly, locking gazes with Hermione.

Hermione's breath caught, and she was unable to look away from Narcissa's blue eyes. Something about being praised by this woman (who, Hermione would wager, did not give out praise easily) was oddly pleasurable. Hermione couldn't afford to spend too long spellbound, however. With some effort on her part, she blinked and attempted to collect herself.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione replied softly, trying to sound as confident as before but not quite succeeding.

"Hmm. If you're going to be the maid here, you'll need to refer to me differently. You will address me as Mistress Malfoy, or simply Mistress when we're alone." Narcissa said sharply, looking into Hermione's eyes once more.

"Y-Yes, Mistress." Hermione answered in an embarrassingly breathy tone, completely unable to look away from the older woman's gaze.

"Very good. Now let's go over your duties." Narcissa said calmly, with a small smile on her face.

Her duties? Of course. Hermione blinked once more and tried to pull herself together. She was going to blow this if she couldn't focus. Hermione's sudden, quite unexpected attraction to Narcissa Malfoy was clouding her thoughts. Being attracted to her employer was a complication that Hermione hadn't planned for at all.

"As you already know, we have house elves here at the estate. Two of them. Mani and Teoni. They'll be taking care of most of the cooking and cleaning." Narcissa explained easily, drumming her fingers on the desk once more.

So Hermione had been correct. The house elves here already had a handle on the work the manor required. Hermione kept her questions to herself, however. Narcissa would doubtlessly explain her purpose here shortly.

"What you will be doing is providing a human touch. The house elves will cook the meals, but you will be serving them to us. They will be cleaning the rooms, but you will be there to attend to my sisters and I. If we require it, you will help us select an outfit, help us dress, and fulfill any other tasks we may have for you. In addition, you will greet guests and ensure that their stay here is as pleasant as possible." Narcissa detailed in a cool tone.

Hermione's listening ability was such that she was able to memorize Narcissa's words even as her imagination was overtaken by the image of the blonde woman wearing very little in front of her. Hermione did the best she could to not blush at the thought, but she doubted she could hide very much from Narcissa at this point.

"As our servant, you will be representing the Lestrange family as well as my own. Needless to say, Miss Granger, you will do so with grace, poise, and dignity. Is that understood?" Narcissa asked sharply again, her voice leaving no doubt as to the answer she expected.

"Yes, Mistress." Hermione answered without a trace of hesitation.

"Excellent. Now...I don't want you to think I was unmoved by your need, Miss Granger. I am willing to advance you your payment now, if you wish." Narcissa said after a moment, sounding a little warmer than before.

"You...you will?" Hermione asked with quite a bit of surprise in her voice.

"I am. The full three months pay. On one condition." Narcissa said silkily.

Hermione could hardly believe it. If she got her pay in advance, her parents would not have to live during the summer under a cloud of uncertainty. Hermione very much wanted to provide them with that peace of mind. Assuming that Narcissa's condition was not too onerous, of course.

"What is the condition, Mistress?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Narcissa didn't answer immediately. Instead, the blonde woman reached into a drawer and stood up from the desk. She was holding something circular in her hand. Hermione couldn't quite tell what it was until Narcissa walked out from behind the desk. She was holding a bracelet of some kind. It was silver, and it shone beautifully in the light.

"You will have to wear this during your stay here." Narcissa said simply, a fetching smile on her face.

"A bracelet, Mistress?" Hermione asked very politely, wanting more information before she committed.

"Yes, Miss Granger. You will not be able to remove it as long as you are a maid here. It will prevent you from leaving the estate without receiving my, or my sister's permission. It's not all bad, however. When you do leave here, I will allow you to keep the bracelet as a gift." Narcissa explained coolly.

Hermione stared at the bracelet. Her common sense told her to reject Narcissa's proposal. What if her duties proved to be too difficult or unpleasant to stand? Hermione would be literally prevented from leaving without working the full three months, regardless. It was a foolish condition to accept just to get the money quicker.

On the other hand, getting the money quicker had its benefits. Also, removing her option of leaving had an upside. This way, a particularly bad day of work could not cause her to quit prematurely, leaving her without nearly enough money to save her parent's house. It wasn't a great argument for accepting Narcissa's proposal by itself, but...

If Hermione was being entirely honest with herself, there was something exciting about the idea of putting on the bracelet. If she did, then she would truly be under Narcissa's control. Hermione would have little choice but to obey her Mistress's instructions, whether she liked them or not. Before Hermione had met the blonde woman, she would have said that being under someone's control like that had no appeal to her. But now, Hermione most certainly saw the appeal. Or she felt it, anyway.

"I need a decision, Miss Granger." Narcissa said softly, a note of impatience in her voice.

Hermione looked up into Narcissa's icy blue eyes and made her decision. It was a foolish one, no doubt, but it nevertheless felt right to her. Hermione wordlessly extended her hand towards Narcissa, her palm upward, and presented her wrist to the blonde woman.

Narcissa smiled and reached down to fasten the silver bracelet onto Hermione's wrist. There was a clear opening on one side, but as soon as Narcissa attached the bracelet to Hermione's wrist, the opening vanished completely. It melded perfectly to Hermione's skin and looked as though it had always been there, and (most exciting of all) always would be.

Narcissa's fingertips brushed the sensitive skin of Hermione's wrist and the contact made her heart flutter. Narcissa's fingers were incredibly soft. The blonde woman held her wrist for several seconds longer than was necessary, not that Hermione minded in the least. She was once again held captive by Narcissa's assertive gaze, and this time, there was no doubt that Hermione was a prisoner in more ways than one.

"You must be tired from the journey, Miss Granger. Take my advice and rest for a few hours in your room before dinner. Teoni will show you where it is." Narcissa said coolly, releasing Hermione's wrist after a time.

"Yes, Mistress Malfoy. I will." Hermione answered at once, her thoughts oddly scattered.

"A maid outfit will be hanging in the closet in your room. Put it on when you wake up. You will be expected to wear it whenever you are on duty." Narcissa explained further, walking back to her desk.

"I understand, Mistress." Hermione murmured softly, inwardly eager to put on something that would meet the woman’s approval.

"Your pay will be given to you after dinner. That will be all, Miss Granger. You are dismissed." Narcissa said smoothly, the picture of composure.

Hermione nodded and stood up. Hermione felt the desire to express her feelings to Narcissa. Something about how grateful she was, or how intensely excited she was to begin working here. But Narcissa was no longer looking at her. The blonde woman had turned her attention to the papers on her desk. Hermione had indeed been dismissed.

Hermione was a little off-put by the way Narcissa was ignoring her. They had just shared an intense connection. Hadn't they? Instead of being annoyed, however, Hermione was filled with an odd sense of longing. Hermione wanted Narcissa's attention, but the blonde woman was intentionally withholding it. And Hermione did not dare to try to demand it.

There was only one thing to do. No doubt this was precisely what Narcissa intended for her to think, but Hermione was forced to conclude that she would have to wait until the woman who had such power over her would deign to pay her some attention again. And until then, Hermione was determined to do everything she could think of to gain Narcissa's approval.


	2. Dressing The Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione finds her new uniform and meets Bellatrix.

Hermione woke up after a short nap, feeling refreshed. The size and quality of her room had been a pleasant surprise. Hermione hadn't been certain about what kind of lodgings she would receive here as a servant, but the airy, well-apportioned room she had been given was more than she expected. In addition to the bed and the decor, the room had a dresser, a nightstand, a full-length mirror, a closet, and its own attached bathroom.

Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 4 o'clock. She had been sleeping for about an hour and a half. That was probably enough rest for now. Between her excitement at her new job and her unexpected attraction to Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione had energy to spare.

Teoni had told Hermione that she would return later to start teaching her the finer points of her duties. Hermione had no interest in lazing around until then, however. She decided to see what her maid outfit looked like. Hermione got up from the bed, walked over to the closet, and opened the door.

As she reached for the handle, Hermione's eyes were drawn inexorably to the silver bracelet on her wrist. She had spent a few minutes before napping trying to see if the bracelet was indeed unremovable. Although Hermione hadn't tried very hard to take it off (she did not want to risk damaging it) the bracelet seemed well and truly bonded to her wrist. Clearly, it was not coming off before the end of her three months at the Lestrange Estate.

Hanging up inside the closet were no less than five black and white maid dresses. They were rather more involved than Hermione had been expecting. Although fashion was far from Hermione's strong suit, she thought the term "gothic" might fit here. The dresses were mainly a rich black with quite a bit of white lace trimmings on the skirt, the short sleeves, and the neck.

All of the maid dresses looked identical. Hermione reached out and felt the soft, luxurious material. Whoever had bought or made these had spared no expense with the materials used. Once again, Hermione was impressed with what she had been provided.

Remembering Mistress Malfoy's directive to always be wearing one of these outfits on duty, Hermione stripped off her muggle clothing. Clad only in her underwear, she retrieved one of the hanging outfits and began the task of putting it on. It took a minute or two to figure out, but Hermione was soon standing in her uniform. At least, the main portion. The maid dress fit her perfectly, which made Hermione wonder how exactly they had known what her size would be.

Hermione checked out her reflection in the full-length mirror by the dresser and was impressed by what she saw. Her long, bushy brown hair contrasted somewhat with the refinement of the dress, but the effect was surprisingly pleasing. All in all, she looked quite nice in the ornamental black and white maid outfit, even if on closer inspection, a few accessories meant to be worn with it were missing. Chief among them was something to wear beneath her skirt. The skirt ended mid-thigh, which might have been fine for some, but it was a touch too short for Hermione's taste. She walked over to the dresser in her room and opened the top drawer. Inside were many pairs of black stockings and tights. Hermione took only a few seconds to select some sheer black tights for herself.

Hermione had just finished putting them on when she heard a faint knock at her door. Hermione swallowed nervously, thinking (and hoping) that Narcissa might be here to check on her. She took a deep breath, smoothed out her skirt, and walked over to open the door.

Only to find no one there, seemingly. Hermione blinked, then looked down. Teoni was standing there, taking in Hermione's appearance. Of course it was Teoni. The house elf had told Hermione that she would be back, after all. Hermione was a little disappointed that it wasn't actually Narcissa, but she did her best to hide it.

"Hello, Teoni." Hermione greeted the house elf cordially.

"Good, good. You already have it on. Now let's finish getting you ready." Teoni said happily, skipping inside the room.

Hermione closed the door behind the house elf. Teoni was acting a little differently than she had been a few hours ago. Hermione was no longer an honored guest and she was not family to the house elf's employer either. It meant that Teoni was friendlier, but rather less polite to Hermione than she had been. It wasn't a bad trade-off, all things considered. Hermione hadn't known what to expect from house elves, having only read about them and never having seen one before. Teoni could have easily been hostile to Hermione's presence, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Hermione watched as Teoni dexterously retrieved various items from the other drawers of the dresser. Teoni placed them on Hermione's bed while she was done. Hermione walked over and saw a small lace apron bottom that was meant to be worn on top of the skirt and a long, shiny black ribbon whose function Hermione couldn't quite guess at the moment.

"You're lucky you have such a nice figure, Miss Granger. You don't even need to wear a corset." Teoni said off-handedly, skipping over to the nightstand.

"A corset? Really?" Hermione asked in considerable surprise, never having worn a corset in her life.

"Yes. Mistress Malfoy said you didn't need to wear one. So you don't need to worry about that." Teoni replied distractedly, pulling out a small silver marking shaped rather like a coin from the nightstand.

Hermione was intrigued by the silver mark. It had a crest on it, as well as lettering that was too small for her to read from this far away. She thought she recognized the crest, though. A far larger version had been hanging from one of the tapestries in the entrance hall. Was it one of the family crests, and if so, which?

Having gotten all of the accessories Hermione would need, Teoni led her back to the mirror. The house elf passed her the white lace apron bottom first, and Hermione tied it behind her waist without any trouble. Teoni then passed Hermione the shiny black ribbon. Hermione opened her mouth to ask what the function of this was, but Teoni was already motioning Hermione to sink to her knees. Baffled, Hermione did so.

"That goes around your neck, Miss Granger. Tie it in front of you in a bow." Teoni explained helpfully.

Hermione did as she was instructed, with Teoni's tiny fingers guiding her own. After a few moments, the black ribbon was tied over the white lace of the outfit's neck, ending in a tiny bow over Hermione's collarbone. Teoni then attached the silver marking to the middle of the bow with a press of her small hand. To Hermione's surprise, the marking stuck to the bow like it was tied there as well.

"Good. Good. That should meet Mistress Black's approval." Teoni said with a satisfied nod.

"Mistress Black? Who is that?" Hermione asked curiously, having known only Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange to be here.

"Mistress Malfoy's sister." Teoni answered shortly.

"You mean Bellatrix Lestrange? Why does-" Hermione began, puzzled.

"Do not call her that. Please, Miss Granger, whatever you do, do not call Mistress Black by her married name. She will become very angry." Teoni explained in a pained voice.

"O-Okay. I won't. Is she here now?" Hermione said nervously, wanting to know as much as she could about the evidently intemperate woman.

"Oh yes, she's sleeping. Mistress Black usually gets up right before dinner." Teoni answered in a calmer tone, stepping back from Hermione to take a look at her.

Hermione stood in place awkwardly, never having been terribly confident of her looks. Refined outfits like these never really looked right on her. But Teoni nodded approvingly at Hermione and turned around to go back to the closet. A moment later, the house elf appeared holding a pair of black shoes. The shoes were beautiful, but they had what looked like 4-inch heels on them. Hermione groaned inwardly.

"Are those really necessary?" Hermione asked gingerly.

"If you want Mistress Black's approval, they are." Teoni replied in a sympathetic tone.

Well, Hermione certainly wanted to get off on the right foot with the woman. Hermione sighed, put the shoes on and practiced walking a few paces. She could count the number of times in her life where she had worn high heels on one hand. After a short while, Hermione managed to shed her awkward gait and did a passable job of walking in them.

"Very good, Miss Granger. I'll show you how dinner is served later. Mistress Malfoy says that she expects you to be waiting in the Entrance Hall in half an hour." Teoni explained, already heading to the door.

"Alright. Thank you for your help." Hermione replied politely as Teoni left her room.

Alone once more, Hermione went back over to the mirror and looked herself over again. The shoes and the outfit together told Hermione that looking pleasing to her employers was probably going to be one of her chief duties. It was a little galling, considering how much effort Hermione put into her studies only to find that her appearance was what was valued. But she couldn't complain. Narcissa was enabling Hermione to help her parents.

And privately, Hermione was eager to be seen in an outfit Narcissa would approve of.

Hermione waited rather nervously in the Entrance Hall. A lifelong habit of showing up early had left Hermione with little to do but to stare up at the tapestries that hung from the ceiling. There were three in total. The largest one in the center had the Lestrange family crest. Fitting, as this was the Lestrange Estate. Flanking it were two smaller tapestries that displayed the Black and Malfoy family crests.

There was something to consider here. It hadn't taken any time for Hermione to match the crest on the ribbon on her neck with the Black family crest that hung from the tapestry above her. Teoni had given it to her and said that Bellatrix would approve. Along with Teoni's admonition to never call Bellatrix by her married name, Hermione couldn't help but conclude that the woman had a definite antipathy toward her husband.

As keen as Hermione was to get on Bellatrix's good side, appearing to take sides as a servant in a marital squabble did not seem like a very good idea. But there wasn't much Hermione could do about it at the moment. Other than tear the ribbon off her neck, and she couldn't very well do that.

A large, ornate grandfather clock in the Entrance Hall struck six times to indicate the time. Hermione tensed up, then tried the inner mantra she used to get herself to relax before taking a test. Unfortunately, one of the tenets was to remind herself of how well she had studied, and that wasn't even close to true in this case. Hermione was mostly in the dark here.

The sound of heels contacting a hard floor reached Hermione's ears. It seemed to be coming from the same doorway she and Teoni had gone through earlier for her interview with Narcissa. Sure enough, as the door opened, Hermione caught sight of the blonde woman in her emerald green dress. Her breath caught momentarily as she took in Narcissa's glamorous appearance once more. A moment later, Hermione remembered that she was wearing the maid outfit Narcissa had told her to put on earlier. What would the woman think of it?

"Hello, dear. You look lovely." Narcissa said in a cool tone as she approached, looking Hermione up and down.

"Thank you, Mistress." Hermione replied politely, deciding on the spur of the moment to offer Narcissa a curtsy, raising the edges of her black skirt.

Narcissa smiled approvingly at her. Hermione's breath caught once more. The woman's smile vanished shortly thereafter, but its fleeting quality only made Hermione hungrier to see it again. Narcissa, for her part, regarded Hermione with a knowing expression before turning to face the stairs. Hermione fidgeted slightly, wondering if Narcissa knew exactly what was going through her mind.

The seconds dragged on in silence. Hermione alternated her attention between the stairs and Narcissa every once in a while, looking for some kind of clue. They were waiting for someone, clearly. It had to be Bellatrix. Teoni had said that the woman got up around this time.

Eventually, Hermione heard the faint sound of heels again. A door opened on the second floor, but from where she was standing, Hermione couldn't see who it was. A few seconds later, a tall woman with long, shining black hair appeared at the top of the stairs. Hermione could tell immediately that she was beautiful. The woman, Bellatrix, was wearing a long black dress and heels, and as she came down the stairs, the contrast her soft, pale skin made with her dark outfit was something to behold.

"Oh, who is this, Cissy?" Bellatrix asked quietly as she came down the staircase, her dark eyes fixed on Hermione.

"This is Hermione Granger. She will be working here as a maid for the next few months." Narcissa answered evenly.

"I know I told you to hire someone, but I expected to get the chance to meet the girl before you did." Bellatrix said sardonically, looking over at Narcissa.

"Perhaps if you had gotten up earlier, you would have had the chance, Bella." Narcissa replied, somewhat tightly.

"Hmph. Let's get a good look at you." Bellatrix said after a moment, stepping very close to Hermione.

Before Hermione could react, Bellatrix reached out with two fingers and brought them under Hermione's chin. The taller woman then raised Hermione's chin an inch or two so that they were looking into each other's eyes. The sheer presumption of the woman was unbelievable, but Hermione was too taken aback to do or say anything. Bellatrix looked intently at Hermione's features. After a few seconds, a smile appeared on the woman's face.

"Hmm. Pretty little thing. I know she's not pureblood, but I think I recognize her eyes. Is she related to the Rosiers?" Bellatrix asked conversationally, keeping Hermione's chin tipped upwards with her fingers.

"No, Bella. Hermione has no wizarding parentage." Narcissa answered in a clipped tone.

"Really? You mean she's a mu-" Bellatrix began in surprise, raising her eyebrows.

"Muggleborn, Bella. The term is muggleborn." Narcissa cut in before her sister could continue.

"That's what I was going to say." Bellatrix replied silkily, her smile turning into more of a smirk.

Hermione wasn't so sure. She had sufficiently recovered to act. If Bellatrix wasn't going to release her chin, then Hermione would do it herself. Hermione stepped backward out of Bellatrix's reach. The woman raised her eyebrows again at Hermione's movement, but she said nothing. Hermione took a moment to collect herself before speaking. She did not like this woman, but she could not afford to antagonize someone who could send her packing, especially since Hermione hadn't yet received her pay.

"Hello, Mistress Black. I am grateful for the opportunity to work here, and I hope to meet your approval." Hermione said evenly, offering Bellatrix a similar curtsy to the one she had offered Narcissa earlier.

"Well, you've made a good impression, I'll say that. You know just what to say, and what to wear too." Bellatrix said approvingly as she spotted the crest at Hermione's neck, seeming to have just noticed it.

"I have no doubt that Hermione will work out well. Now come, Bella. We need to discuss what we're going to do about Andromeda." Narcissa cut in again, motioning for her sister to accompany her, likely to the dining room.

"I imagine it's going to include throwing a few thousand Galleons her way again. Is she in Italy now? France?" Bellatrix asked with a theatrical sigh, following Narcissa.

Whatever Narcissa said in response was lost as she exited the hall. Bellatrix turned her head and gave Hermione a long, considering look before she followed her sister out of the hall. As soon as she was alone, Hermione let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. That could have been a disaster, but Hermione thought she had managed to avoid one. For now.

A door opened on the first floor. Hermione turned to look, not having heard anyone coming. Teoni was there, and the house elf waved Hermione over. It was time to learn how to serve dinner to her two employers. Assuming there were no other diners, and Hermione fervently hoped there wouldn't be.

Hermione felt like she already had her hands full with the two pureblood women she had met today.

**Author's Note:**

> I will, of course, be introducing Bellatrix and Andromeda soon. I'll update the tags when I do so.
> 
> If you have any comments or suggestions about the direction the story should take, I would love to hear them!


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